The Worry of a Smile
by Cimmerii
Summary: Episode 71 - An adorable scene unfolds between Kenshin and Kaoru, but is unfortunately cut rather short. Well, not in this fanfiction! It's a short, cute story. Kenshin x Kaoru, of course! May contain spoilers.


This takes place in episode 71, 'Kaiou's Conspiracy.' What would have happened if Kaoru had found the confidence to say a little more than 'I'll go sew up your pants'? Well, here is my version. Hope you enjoy it! Slight spoiler within. Also: 'Rurouni Kenshin' and all elements do not belong to me. Though I wish they did.  
  
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- Give me a smile and shine days, with your smile,-  
  
- I can overcome the cold nights that would freeze me.-  
  
Radiant sunlight filtered steadily through the parched ceiling of the old, decrepit shack, spilling new warmth across worn, wooden planks, which had long since curdled the bitter, tawny-gray of old age. Dust drifted through the air, catching within the torrent of light, and seeming to set afire; the effect was rather curious. Tiny motes of brilliant pearl and amber twisted tawdrily through the worn environs, fading and sparking to life again at odd increments.  
  
Murmuring through wide gaps 'tween splintering planks of wood came the wind, soft and sweet, a balmy caress that leisurely coaxed every wisp of staleness from the skeletal structure of crumbling timber. Upon this gentle breeze there was carried the spice of the seas; an aroma gentle and refreshing, woven in misty brine.  
  
Very little adorned the modest interior of this tatty structure, save a makeshift wrack that hung lopsided from the ceiling on fraying ropes, and a scattered pile of old, wan yellow hay. Stalks had been arranged, roughly, into a dwindling mound of tired gold, in which now sat a somewhat worn- appearing man, blending quite well into the overall dreary atmosphere; his orange-red hair, locked into a ponytail, curled meekly over a muscled shoulder, whilst his violet eyes stared, sightless, from behind a veil of burnt tendrils. Gorgeous oculars of pale indigo no longer held that vivid spark that defined Kenshin; a vapor of distant, ominous gray seemed to have settled vengefully within that handsome gaze.  
  
All that resided about him, Kenshin sensed or heard. He could feel the saccharine wind curling about his trim, bandage-clad form, gently brushing along his bare skin; he could taste the salt within the air, and smell the freshness it carried, but most fascinating was the sound. An indiscrete sigh that he had once been all but deaf to. It spoke of many things, that lavender sea breeze; it passed upon it all the images that he would have beheld, had this curtain of ebon lifted from his eyes. He could hear it pass through the yawning fissures in the moss-saturated boards, and spread its gossamer wings tenderly over the cliff face, silvered tail feathers luring the grasses into a placid dance.  
  
Attention, however, shifted from the ocean zephyr quite suddenly. A slight disruption: a whirl and a flourish that spoke clear of its intention. The man's arm lifted, and index finger uncurled wantonly, poised precise in mid- air. Quiet hum of life drew closer, and with the dry crinkle of furling wings, there came the lightest pressure 'pon his skin. Six tiny legs clung determinedly to his knuckle, spread outwards from the rotund form of a curious ladybug. For a moment, he considered the wandering touch of the insect upon his skin, before it lifted crookedly into the air once more. Listen, he did, to the ascent of the tiny creature, tugged along by the brine-spiced wind.  
  
Kaoru lifted her head from her work, sapphire eyes slipping across the room, and coming to focus briefly 'pon the lean figure of her friend, her love. Lips parted vaguely, while she somberly considered his rather dejected posture and apperance. Visage was taken by restrained grief, as she gently lifted from the flooring, clutching to the fuchsia gi she had just finished repairing. To see him in such a condition, to know what he couldn't sense any longer, tore her apart from within. She simply could not fathom what he was not experiencing.  
  
There, again; another shift, a change. Kenshin came to sense the movement of the other in the diminutive room. Kaoru. Quite aware, he was of her approach. The air melted easily about her elegant form, and her light footsteps elicited a stressed groan from the dilapidated floorboards. Air rushed forth, before he was encompassed in a sudden warmth; he felt her settle the gi carefully upon him, covering his legs and chest as he sat in the desiccated hay. Slowly, he tilted his head, leaning forth a touch as if to regard her presence with his ethereal stare. Truly, he appreciated it: he appreciated her nearness, her support.  
  
"I'm sorry, were you sleeping just now?" Kaoru had since settled herself upon her knees beside Kenshin, once assured that the fabric covered him adequately; then, her voice lifted soft into the air, carrying a whisper of velvet apology and warmth.  
  
Inwardly, Kenshin smiled at her consideration; however, he couldn't quite bring the expression to pull upon his lips. So many concerns were pressing in upon him, as well as the perfect black that was unyielding, refusing to lift from his eyes. "Not at all," responded the man in assurance, "I was listening to the sound of the wind, that I was. When I sit here peacefully like this, I start to feel that I can see many things… Things that I normally wouldn't have noticed when I use my eyes to see." His words rang true; there were so many fascinating sounds, so many pulses that ran through the earth and air, currents that seemed dance 'pon the wind and murmur explanations into his ears.  
  
Kenshin's words seemed to perplex Kaoru for a moment. Dark lashes dipped briefly, and hooded her navy oculars, before lifting once more. "But are you going to be like this forever? Will you ever be able to see again?" Questions that pained her to wonder, hurt her even more to utter. The concept of the man she cared for so never being able to indulge in the sights of the world again was chilling; it made her stomach twist, and her throat close up with bitter, swallowed tears.  
  
A flash of his blind gaze; that man disregarded the queries, hesitant and unknowing of the counter he should offer. Though she deserved an answer, he could not bring himself to offer such, for he was not entirely sure himself. Would he ever be able to lift the veil of impenetrable black from his world? Deep within, he doubted it, and this doubt was what prompted him to dodge the questions. Worrying Kaoru was the last thing he wanted to do. She needn't… "In the end, I must surpass him. Both of us must attack with the Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki, and I must defeat him then… There is no other path for me to take."  
  
Overhead, in the lapse that followed, a lone avian chirruped quietly and lifted into flight, heaving itself eagerly into the warm embrace of the sun- strewn sky.  
  
"However, Miss Kaoru… My feelings about this have become stronger since we crossed swords last night. If it were the case that Shougo Amakusa's possessed a corrupt soul, it would have been impossible for him to use the Hiten Mitsurugi style to the extent that he did, with the control that he had... But regardless, I must do it. I must once again face Shougo Amakusa." Determination rang lucid within his voice, as his brow furrowed into an expression of bitter acceptance. This truly was the only path.  
  
Concern. The determination that Kenshin felt was not shared by Kaoru. She hesitated slightly, silken voice carrying through the air, words heavy with worry. "But, Kenshin… In your condition…" She did not wish him to fight. Even if he had been with sight, she would not have wanted him to fight. The woman would be all to content if he would never pick up his sword again; if he could simply live a 'normal' life at the dojo, with her. With Yahiko. With Sanosuke, Suzume, Ayame, and the others. If only…  
  
Touched, the man was by Kaoru's palpable concern, but at the same time, worried for her sake as well. The last thing he wanted was to worry her; he had done far too much of that, during his epic battle with Shishio. He had caused her too much pain. Never again did he want her to agonize, to shed tears or feel pain. If only he could shield her from that all. If only… "Although I can't see you now, I can imagine the expression you have, that I most certainly can." Every detail, he could picture. How long had he spent with Kaoru? Certainly longer than he had ever, initially, expected. He knew her. He knew her very well and he cared about her deeply… Her face, he could see in his mind: glorious eyes of satin blue, regarding him with silver sorrow, and that subtle glint of tenderness. Lips pulled into a slight frown; elegant visage contorted by her worry.  
  
"And believe me when I say this," as he spoke, his arm extended steadily outwards, as if reaching to touch her face, "I am more concerned about the smile that has disappeared from your face.. than I am about the sight gone from my eyes." Again, he spoke the full truth. He could adjust to the eternal black, find ways about the shadow; it was the thought of Kaoru being distressed over his sake yet again that shook him. That, he could never adjust to. Having her saddened by him; worried by him. Was he deserving of such? So frequently, he wanted to be, and yet, did not feel he should be.  
  
Emotions flared from within Kaoru: a warmth spread through her, as she lifted her hands, and clasped Kenshin's own betwixt hers, savoring that touch, and repeating his words in mind. His selflessness amazed her, and touched her... Her unhappiness worried him more than the darkness he had been plunged into for, perhaps, eternity. A bittersweet consideration. Tears welled from within her eyes, and her throat closed again. Head tilted to the side, as she pulled his hand a bit closer to her. "Oh, Kenshin…" Words could scarcely fall from her lips, for they had to be pulled so stubborn from her tightened throat. A slight smile spread across her visage, before she leaned forth and pressed it softly, sweetly, to his calloused fingers.  
  
Surprise flickered, as Kenshin felt Kaoru's hands encompass his own in a blaze of warmth, and then, deepened as her lips seared briefly against his skin. Though sightless, though misted in cold steel, his eyes widened a touch, and then blissfully narrowed.  
  
"Kenshin," she began, murmuring the voice of her love quietly, savoring each syllable as she assiduously embraced his hand in her own, "please, be careful. I know you will, but, you see…" Her sisal-soft words fluttered to a hesitant pause, as her palms pressed in tight, "I wouldn't…" Another break in her words: this time, she eased his hands down, and shifted closer, rustling the dry stalks of hay in the process. "I wouldn't know what to do if you left me." Words of sincere conviction bring her closer to him yet, dark eyes searching his unreadable features.  
  
Not simply surprise, now. Astonishment. Kaoru's fervent, yet soft-spoken words touch something deep within the man. A seal upon his heart is opened, and after a lingering moment of shock, his shy nature dissolves, and a smile allowed to brush along his lips. "Kaoru-dono," Kenshin's own words are quiet, and carrying just as much truth and emotion, a current of consoling warmth beneath his velvet voice, "nothing could make me leave your side."  
  
At that moment, two bodies compress into one. Kaoru hums the name of her love beneath her trembling breath, and wraps sleek arms about his bandaged form with the utmost care and consideration of his wounds, and yet a desperation; a need for physical confirmation of this verbal pledge. Her hands snake along his exposed, muscle-carved back, as she is pulled close, and encompassed by Kenshin's strong, grateful embrace. Sight is not needed; words are not needed. There is simply the whisper of caught breath, and the quickened beating of two hearts, pressed close, as the duo cherish a pure embrace, so unlike the last they shared.  
  
Sunlight glimmers and spills torrents of aureate along the two as they linger in blissful ignorance of their surroundings, and the young girl called Misao who slips on silent feet from the entrance of the shack, ushering a wide-eyed Yahiko along with her.  
  
For many long moments, harsh reality twirls away, permitting a perfect one to take its place.  
  
- Your smile is so bright it quenches parched skin,-  
  
- Just like the mid-summer rain.-  
  
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That's it. I hope you enjoyed my first ever fanfiction! Review, perhaps? Oh! Sorry if you find it sappy, but I'm a huge Rurouni Kenshin fan who has been dying for a 'cute' scene for far too long. It bubbled over into this. Really - it could have been so much worse! ^_^; 


End file.
